2018 Draft Analysis, Part 4: Wide Receivers

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March 1, 2018

by Adam Tarasckhe

Welcome back to the fourth week of my draft previews for The Hog Sty.  This week I will be looking at the 2018 class of wide receivers. This position group is one of the weakest in the draft.  This class lacks the high-end talent, but makes up for it in the later rounds.  There are players to be had in the 2nd round this year.  I think this class has a few guys who may take some time, but develop into big time players at the next level.  The Redskins need to add as much talent as they can to the offensive side of the ball to help Alex Smith.  Drafting a WR at some point in the draft would go a long way to achieving offensive success in 2018.  Here is my 2018 WR draft preview:

  1. Calvin Ridley (Alabama) 6’1, 190
  2. DJ Moore (Maryland) 5’11 215
  3. Deon Cain (Clemson) 6’1 210
  4. Courtland Sutton (SMU) 6’4 215
  5. Anthony Miller (Memphis) 5’11 190
  6. James Washington (Oklahoma State) 6’0 205
  7. DJ Chark (LSU) 6’3 185
  8. Dante Pettis (Washington) 6’1 190
  9. Auden Tate (Florida State) 6’5 225
  10. Christian Kirk (Texas A&M) 5’11 200

Day 1 prospect: Calvin Ridley (Alabama) 6’1 190

Strengths: Elite route runner with explosiveness in and out of his breaks.  NFL level deep speed.  Reliable hands.  Disciplined in his stems and fakes down the field.  Great feet off the line.  Can stop on a dime.  Attacks the ball at its highest point.  Run after the catch ability.  Long strider who can eat up cushion in a hurry.  Smart receiver who knows how to find holes in the defense.  Creates space as well as any receiver I’ve watched.

Weaknesses: Slender frame that could use 10 more pounds.  He tends to drop the ball in the middle of the field if he hears footsteps.  Needs work getting off press coverage.  His hands need work technically to beat corners with good length.

Overall: Ridley is far and away the best WR in the draft.  He is the only WR I would touch in the first round.  He would come in and instantly give Alex Smith a dominant receiving threat at all levels of the field.  His feet can create space and his speed does the rest.  He has pro bowl potential, if not more.  The only knock on him is his age.  He’ll be 24 before the next season ends.  He is exactly the type of offensive threat the Redskins are missing.  He would be a fan favorite and an instant star in this league.  I would prefer the Redskins target the front 7 in the 1st round, but I would not be disappointed if Ridley is Washington’s selection come day 1 of the draft.

Day 2 prospect: Deon Cain (Clemson) 6’1 210

Strengths: Cain is a guy who looks the part on the field.  Excellent feet and lateral quickness.  Gets up the field quickly and forces defenders to make decisions.  Natural hands, although he can struggle with focus drops.  Fluid route runner who sinks in and out of his breaks seamlessly.  Advanced hand work for a young receiver.  Great awareness on the boundary.  Aggressive when the ball is in the air.  Can make plays in the short, intermediate, and deep parts of the field.  Great run after the catch ability due to his quickness, speed, and strength.  Potential WR1 if he lands in the right position.

Weaknesses: Was not asked to run a full route tree at Clemson so there are question marks about his polish as a route runner.  Has lazy moments on the field.  Does not play to his size frequently enough.  Physical corners with length gave him trouble.

Overall: Cain is a 2nd rounder with potential to sneak into the late part of the 1st.  He offers everything a team needs in a WR1, he just needs some grooming to get there.  Clemson has a good track record of putting talented WR’s in the league.  If he falls into the right hand he has pro bowl potential.  He looks like an NFL receiver when you watch him play.  His footwork looks like it comes easy to him and he makes plays without breaking a sweat.  He can burn the defense for a long touchdown at any given point.  If he is available when Washington picks in the 2nd round they should jump all over Cain.

Day 3 prospect: Antonio Callaway (Florida) 5’11 195

Strengths: Explosive athlete with quick, twitched up feet.  Electric down the field.  Great lateral quickness.  Stacks corners easily and can win on slants and inward breaking routes easily.  Solid hands with great leaping ability.  Attacks the ball when it is near him.  Offers elite athleticism as a return man.  Can play inside or out.  Tracks the ball well down the field.

Weaknesses: With Callaway is starts and ends with his off the field issues.  If he had no red flags he is a potential first round pick.  He has had multiple suspensions while at Florida and will have to prove that he is trustworthy to the team that selects him.  He does not have ideal size or strength.  Has moments of laziness when he is not targeted.  Poor production despite his abilities.

Overall: Every year a player with serious talent falls into the later rounds due to off the field issues.  Callaway could end up being that guy.  With elite athleticism and a natural feel for the position Callaway seemed a lock to be one of the top WRs picked if it weren’t for his multiple incidents at UF.  He will easily fall into the 3rd day of the draft, if not out of it completely.  He has all the talent you want in a receiver, but a team is going to have to do some serious vetting to find out if this is a guy who is even worth taking a risk on.  I would be all for using a 6th or 7th on Callaway.  He would provide a deep threat this team has lacked since Jackson left.  He offers playmaking ability all over the field and with the cap hit way down as a late round pick the risk is mitigated.  I’m not sure if he can be trusted to handle himself like a professional, but if he can he will be a dominant WR and I would love for him to figure it out in Ashburn and give this team a serious player with star potential.

Favorite prospect: DJ Moore (Maryland) 5’11 215

Strengths: Strong receiver with a powerful frame for the position.  Good speed and agility.  Excellent feet, stacks receivers easily and explodes out of his breaks.  Reliable hands even though he tends to let the ball into his body.  Exceptional route runner.  Physical in the run game.  Can play inside or out.  Does a great job of coming back and attacking the ball.  Great production at Maryland despite the carousel of QBs he had throwing to him.  Deadly after the catch due to his size and speed.  Great hands off the line and at the top of his routes.

Weaknesses: He is not a known as a deep threat.  Struggles tracking the ball down the field.  Can get lazy with his footwork at times.  Needs to be a more consistent route runner.

Overall: Moore makes it look easy on the field.  He was a bright light in a dark and dreary Maryland offense.  Great route runner who catches everything thrown at him.  He is exactly the kind of receiver the Redskins are looking for.  He can run the full route tree, play inside and out, and he has the footwork and strong hands to consistently move the chain.  He reminds me of a bigger Golden Tate.  He would instantly be Smith’s favorite target.  He has potential to develop into a star at the next level and he should be available come Washington’s 2nd pick.  He would make a great addition to this offense and compliment Crowder and Doctson well.  He is my personal favorite to be picked in the 2nd round by Washington.

Highest Ceiling: Courtland Sutton

Highest Floor: Calvin Ridley

Best Red Zone Threat: Auden Tate

Best Deep Threat:  Calvin Ridley

Most Versatile: DJ Moore

Best Route Runner: Calvin Ridley

Best Hands: Dante Pettis

Biggest Riser: Anthony Miller

Biggest Sleeper: Michael Gallup

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